


Cursed

by Patricia_Sage



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Ba Sing Se, Badass Katara (Avatar), Bloodbending (Avatar), Firebending & Firebenders, Gaang (Avatar), Guilt, Hurt Zuko (Avatar), Hurt/Comfort, Implied Sokka/Zuko (Avatar), Nightmares, Protective Sokka (Avatar), Waterbending & Waterbenders, Western Air Temple
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-06-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:14:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24598093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Patricia_Sage/pseuds/Patricia_Sage
Summary: Katara has a nightmare and, for a moment, can't separate the past from reality. Zuko is caught in the crossfire.
Relationships: Aang & Katara (Avatar), Aang/Katara (Avatar), Katara & Sokka (Avatar), Katara & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 37
Kudos: 1202





	Cursed

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first "Avatar: The Last Airbender" story. The energy between Katara (stubborn and distrustful) and Zuko (honest and slightly desperate, but still proud in his own way) at this point in the show is super dynamic. Also I can't stop thinking about how much these kids have been through and how wildly powerful Katara is. 
> 
> I hope you like it.

The light of the moon illuminates the columns of the Western Air Temple and glitters in the fountain a few feet away. Katara tries to allow the whispers of the water to soothe her to sleep. Anxiety has been gnawing at her, creeping up her throat every night. Sokka had returned from Boiling Rock with her father, but it had been a very risky operation. She keeps thinking about how she could have lost him too. The state of the world, her concern for Aang, her distrust of Zuko, the uncertainty… She hasn’t had a full night’s sleep in what feels like weeks.

Finally, the world drifts away, but she is not met with comfort or freedom. Instead, she is back in the catacombs of Ba Sing Se, strained by desperation but resolute in her own power. And, suddenly, Aang is rising from the crystals. She’s seen him in the Avatar State before, but this is different. He is in control. For once, he rises with calm and there is no strain around his eyes. Her heart fills with pride and hope – they are going to win this fight!

There’s a flash of light and a reverberating sound. Lightning strikes from above, tearing through Aang’s fragile chest. Katara puts every ounce of her strength into a wave of water, catching him before he can hit the ground. Aang’s body is so small and cold in her arms. She’s so used to seeing him bright like the sun… now he’s broken, barely moving, barely breathing. She feels as if she’s been shattered.

Katara looks up and there’s the Dragon of the West, facing his family. Azula looks crazed with power and pride. Zuko looks furious and resolute. She hates them. She wants to kill them.

“Katara!”

Katara’s eyes open, but half of her remains in the dream. Zuko’s scarred face fills her vision. One of his hands is on her shoulder. Katara is filled with panic and fury – he’s found them again. Her family is in trouble. She has to protect them, protect Aang. She won’t let this monster take them.

It’s not a conscious decision she makes. The turbulent combination of panic and fury moves her, and she draws on the technique she learned under duress in that forest, under that full moon. Bloodbending, she forces Zuko’s arms to his sides before he can strike. She lifts him off of the ground, squeezing his arms against his body. Faintly she notices his confused and alarmed expression. “Katara,” he releases her name on what little breath he has left in his lungs. His face morphs into a furious panic.

Zuko’s fists engulf in flames at his sides. Katara, reeling with fear and lost in limbo between dream and reality, recalls the way ash rained down on her village during the fire nation attack many years ago. Zuko’s fire, three feet away from her, feels like it’s filled the room. She can hear the screams of her people.

Katara manipulates the muscles of his right arm, forcing his hand to bend back until it’s straining against his bones and the flame is sputtering – then she moves it even further. A sickening crack echoes in the room and Zuko screams in pain.

At the same time, a familiar voice calls her name. “Katara!” She looks over her shoulder and sees Aang. His eyes are wide and horrified, and his arms are outstretched almost helplessly. Behind him, Sokka looks like he’s about to be sick.

It feels like a bucket of ice water is poured over her head. She looks around the room and realizes where she is, realizes what she’s doing. She releases Zuko with a gasp and stumbles back against a wall. Aang quickly kneels at her side while Sokka runs over to Zuko, collapsed on the floor and holding his broken wrist.

Katara’s crying, but she doesn’t remember when she started. She pushes Aang’s concerned hands away from her and moves toward Zuko. She doesn’t particularly trust or like the firebender, but he had proven he’s on their side and he didn’t deserve any of what she had just done. She realized he had likely heard her having a nightmare and had come to check on her. And now…

“Zuko, I’m so sorry,” she said.

Zuko shakes his head, not looking up to meet her eyes. “No, it was my fault,” he says with a grimace.

“No –” Katara grabs her water flask from beside her bedroll. “Here, let me heal you,” she begs, approaching quickly. Zuko flinches.

He stumbles to his feet with the uncertain aid of Sokka. “I’ll be fine,” Zuko insists and then leaves the room, cradling his wrist.

Katara, still crying, looks helplessly at her brother. “I’ll go after him,” Sokka says, then follows. Katara can see them in between the columns as Sokka sits down at the edge of the fountain. Zuko looks so small sitting next to her brother.

Katara watches Sokka unravel one of his arm bands and then reach out to the firebender. Zuko flinches at first, then allows Sokka to wrap his injured wrist with a nearby piece of wood, creating a splint. That will have to do until ( _if_ ) Zuko allows Katara to heal him. Sokka, unexpectedly gentle, brushes a strand of Zuko’s hair away from the scarred side of his face. Katara is surprised when Zuko leans forward, pressing his forehead into Sokka’s shoulder. Her brother wraps his arm around the firebender and rests his cheek on the top of his head.

Aang interrupts her observation by taking her hands in his tattooed ones. He looks at her with an unfairly forgiving expression. Katara looks down at her hands and thinks of the destruction she caused. She wishes that old woman had never taught her to bloodbend.

It was a curse.

**Author's Note:**

> Reviews are always appreciated! I might write more for this show, not sure. 
> 
> I hope you're doing well - take care of yourself.


End file.
